Teachers union, district have "productive" negotiations

Negotiators for the Pennsbury school board and the teachers union met this week for the first time in more than a year to discuss potential terms for a new contract, officials said.

Jeffrey Sultanik, the board’s chief negotiator, said the two-hour session on Monday was constructive and resulted in a good meeting between the two sides.

However, he said, it’s unlikely the negotiators will reach an agreement on a new deal before Pennsbury’s new school year begins on Sept. 4 because the negotiators want to update data that may have changed “due to the passage of time,” Sultanik said in a statement released by the district.

“Our economic assumptions have changed since we last met, and we agreed it would be vital to negotiations for revised financial projection models to be created,” the statement continued.

Pennsbury Education Association members have worked for the past two school years under the terms of the contract, which expired in 2010.

Contract talks broke down in April 2011, when school board members Allan Weisel and Simon Campbell, who weren’t part of the board’s negotiating team, entered a negotiating session to observe the proceedings. PEA negotiators abruptly left the session and no further talks were scheduled.

When negotiations began in 2010, the board proposed a two-year contract with no salary increases for PEA members and increased healthcare premium contributions. The union’s last proposal called for a five-year deal, with annual 2.9 percent salary increases and health care premium contributions that remain at 10 percent.

As it stands now, a first-year PEA member with a bachelor’s degree earns $45,176, according to district figures. Union members with 14 or more years of service and a master’s degree plus 30 credits earn $98,222. The average PEA member salary will be $76,114.45 for this school year, officials said.

During the Monday meeting, the negotiators reviewed their “previous Memoranda of Understanding, healthcare costs, and changing payroll figures based upon staffing numbers,” according to the statement released by the district.

The two sides agreed to use Sept. 12 as the “snapshot date” to gather the revised financial data negotiators are seeking, Sultanik said in the statement. That date was selected because district officials are still hiring more staff members to fill vacancies, he said.

Sultanik led the board’s negotiating team in Monday’s session. Several administrators also were on hand, but no board members, officials said. Several PEA members, including union President George Miller, as well as a state union representative, participated in the talks. State mediator John Cairns oversaw the negotiations.

The renewed talks are a “small step” in the right direction, PEA spokeswoman Lucy Walter said Tuesday.

“For Pennsbury’s teachers who begin year four, and for some, year five, with a frozen contract, this is one step on a journey that has been long and difficult,” Walter said. “But, as in the past, the teachers of Pennsbury will be continuing to act in a professional manner and hope that the others involved will do likewise so that this contract can one day reach resolution.”

The board and union representatives agreed to meet again on Sept. 10 and Sept. 24 to continue their negotiations, district officials said.

Joan Hellyer: 215-949-4048;

email: jhellyer@phillyburbs.com;

Twitter: @BCCTintheknow

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.

Follow Us

Advertise

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
Bucks County Courier Times ~ 8400 N. Bristol Pk, Levittown, PA 19057 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service